Page 8 of Craved By You (Dark Desires Duet #1)

Astrid

“W hy me, though?” I completely blew off what Colt had just said and decided I wanted to deep dive into this conversation.

“ Astrid, we’ve already had this conversation.” Colt paused so he could take a sip of his Americano. “You didn’t see me for being the lead singer in a band.”

The words blurted out before I could stop them. “Right, but I still saw you for being hot.” I covered my mouth and Colt chuckled at my embarrassment as I tried to take it back. “I didn’t mean-”

Colt reached across the table and took my hand. “Yes, you did,” he said, rubbing his tattooed thumb over my knuckles. “Which is fine.”

“ I guess it wasn’t like an ‘Ah, look it’s that hottie from Vore Ritual!’” I smiled, enjoying his touch. The butterflies forming in my stomach again reminded me that I wanted more than just that.

Colt didn’t waste any time. “So, I noticed your screensaver.”

“ Oh, my bunny?” I attempted to avoid the actual question.

“ Yes, your rope bunny screensaver. Is shibari something that you enjoy doing, too?”

Fuck, I can’t avoid that one.

“ Not anymore.” I hesitated as I took a deep sigh.

“I used to love getting tied up. Shibari was introduced to me when I was modeling. It was one of the things that I did with some of the photographers. Not only did the photographers get to show off their skills, I got some pretty hot pics.” I smiled as the memories came rushing back in.

“ Why did you stop?” ????

“ At first, my ex kind of ruined everything for me.” Great, here’s the conversation I wasn’t looking forward to having with anyone, especially not on a first date. “Then once I was able to escape that relationship, I just sort of… It didn’t work out.”

Colt tilted his head and looked toward the door when a new customer walked in. “Because?”

I was getting frustrated. Why can’t he just accept my response, why does there have to be more?

“ I’m too big to be a rope bunny.” I let out an anxious laugh. “Happy now?” I knew Colt could see the mental gymnastics that our conversation was putting me through.

Colt raised his pierced eyebrow and my heart fluttered. “I’d tie you up. I even have the space to suspend you.” At least he ignored my comment about being too big.

“ I wouldn’t be able to do any suspension, everything would crash down.”

Colt jolted forward and grasped my chin. “If I ever hear you say anything negative about what belongs to me again-”

I pulled away. “I don’t belong to you, Colt.”

??“No? Were you waiting for me to ask you to be my girlfriend or something?” His words came out sarcastically. “I don’t know how to do this.”

“ Colt, I don’t just rush into relationships like this… I’m a lady.” I leaned back in my chair and he reached down and pulled my feet into his lap.

I had lied. I would one hundred percent rush into something - anything - with him if he just asked. But he provided me with the opportunity to be coy and standoffish instead, which made me feel like I had a bit more control over things.

“ So, what did your ex do?”

I felt myself getting annoyed, not at him, but at how much I hated talking about my past. “Wow, you really just keep digging deep, don’t ya buddy?”

He shrugged, taking another sip. “I want to get to know you.”

“ Can’t we start with favorite colors or some of the other basics?” I shook my head.

“ Astrid.” He had barely said my name in the time that we been talking, but the way it rolled off of his tongue was pleasing to my ears.

I responded, using the same tone, challenging him. “Colt.”

“ I want to know everything about you, sunshine. The things that make you get up in the morning, the reasons your heart is hesitant when it comes to love, and the way your naked body feels when it’s pressed against mine.”

“ And my favorite color?” I stared at him as he pondered how he was going to answer.

“ And, yeah, I guess your favorite color,” he responded with a chuckle. “Which is neon green, by the way, but you like to tell people it’s clear for fun.”

The response surprised me. “How did you-”

“ Lucky guess.” Colt seemed content with his response. “Let’s get out of here, I want to show you something.”

???

The car ride was strangely silent after our non-stop bantering at the coffee shop.

If looks could kill, I would be dead on the floor with the way that Sarah stared at me as Colt and I left together, hand in hand.

When we arrived at his car, he opened up the passenger door, kissed my hand, and waited until I sat down and adjusted into the seat before he shut it again.

No one had ever done that for me before.

After that, there was nothing aside from his hand never leaving my thigh until we arrived at a large abandoned building in the middle of nowhere.

Trees breezed by while Colt’s car drove through the twists and turns of the road.

I had never explored this part of town, so my silence was more taking in the scenery, and I didn’t want to distract him too hard from the drive.

However, seeing where we ended up, I definitely began to question whether or not I should have tried a little harder to convince him not to kill me.

“ Welcome to The Shack!” Colt announced while putting his car in park. “What do you think?”

I leaned forward and looked at the massive warehouse. “This looks like more than just a shack.” My voice wavered. “Are we supposed to be here?”

Colt rumbled. “You think I would invite you on an adventure to trespass, sunshine?”

“ Well, I thought you were going to take me to see someplace special, not your murder house.” I smarted off.

“ You’re right, this murder house does belong to me.” He smirked.

Either he has a fucked up sense of humor, or I am really bad at choosing guys. I let out a weary breath.

Colt seemed to be able to sense my worry, and he immediately took my hand.

“Listen, my house is about two miles up the road.” Like that was supposed to make me feel better.

“I wanted to purchase the land around it so that there was no chance of anyone building up the area with residences and businesses. I made an offer and the owner accepted almost instantly. What once was a meat processing facility is now a place where I can store some of my belongings until I expand on my home, a place for the band to get together and play, and space for people to rent out for various things.”

I felt relief when I heard him explain that this warehouse wasn’t some dingy abandoned property, but even after hearing the words come from his mouth I still had uncertainty milling about in my head.

“ There’s a pool table inside.” He gestured toward the door. “And I could probably muster up more coffee if you need it.”

I giggled. “Well, now you’ve discovered the way to my heart.”

“ That was easier than I expected,” he responded with confidence as he took my arm in his and escorted me to the door, opening it for me.

My apprehension vanished the moment I stepped inside.

Gone was the unsettling exterior and in its place was a vibrant, high-tech wonderland.

Colorful LEDs and neons lit up the space which consisted of a pool table, arcade games, a coffee bar, and a cozy seating area.

It was beautiful and welcoming, unlike the outside.

“ Wow.” I spun around and gestured to the welcoming area. “ This is not what I expected.”

“ Like I said, I have people who like to rent this space out on occasion - whether for podcasts or photo shoots - when we aren’t practicing, so I wanted to be sure it was a welcoming environment when they entered. Let me show you the rest.”

“ You nailed it.” I continued to look around as we moseyed deeper into the warehouse.

Colt showed me rooms where podcasts would be recorded, and the room they used as their recording studio.

It was an impressive place and Colt had done well.

Once we left the comforts of the business-type environment, things started to feel a bit darker and sinister no matter how protected I felt being next to Colt. “What’s back here?”

The darkness seemed to intensify the blue of his eyes, making them appear almost black. “I told you I wanted to show you something,” Colt mentioned. Leaving me standing there as he stepped back into one of the rooms, re-emerging with what looked to be a gas mask.

“ So you are going to murder me. Cool, cool,” I tried to respond calmly, but my breath gave me away with its shaking.

Colt released a guttural sigh. “Listen sunshine, I am not going to hurt you in any way you don’t want me to. While I may own you, there are some ways that you are still in control.”

??“Colt.” I hesitated, again. “You don’t own me.”

“ Yet.” He slammed me against the wall, his hand bracing against my neck. My head tilted back as he lowered his. Instead of claiming my lips, he whispered against my jaw, his breath hot and ragged which sent shivers down my spine. “Do you want to play a game?” he asked in a husky voice.

I blinked, disoriented. “Uh, sure,” I managed, the words feeling foreign on my tongue.

Well this is fucking random.

I didn’t know what kind of game we would be playing, but I’d read books, and the heat radiating from him made all of my senses ignite with a dangerous kind of anticipation.

“ You have all of this space you can use to your advantage, sunshine. Use it.” Colt still hadn’t disclosed what we were doing, but by his instructions, it was definitely seeming like a game of hide and seek. “When I find you, you’ll officially be mine.”

“ And if you don’t?”

Colt took in a whiff of my hair. “That isn’t going to be an option.”

Did I want him to find me ? Yes.

Did I want to give him the satisfaction of winning that easily? Where would the fun be in that?

A fierce internal struggle started to rage within me. My mind screamed “restraint” while my lips told a different story as they trembled with the urge to claim his in a twist that he would have never expected.

“ A-and what does that entail?”

“ I’m going to catch you, and then… I’m going to show you something you never knew existed. You’ll never want to belong to anyone else again.”

Bewilderment washed over me. What was he trying to say?

A surge of hope threatened to consume me, but I forced it down, reminding myself to be cautious. His presence was a battle against my own emotions, leaving me flustered and unable to focus on the task at hand.

Don’t get caught.

“ I’ll give you a head start,” Colt informed me, with a sly grin.

I paused, hoping to buy some time. “How long?”

Ignoring my question, he held my gaze, his eyes burning into mine. He slipped the gas mask over his head. Then, in a deep voice barely above a whisper, he said… “Run.”